Elongated pot burner and flame ring



7 Nov. 2, 1948. c, s, GREER, JR 2,452,925

ELONGATED POT 'BURNER AND FLAME RING Filed Jyxly 6, 1947 2 Shats-$heet 1 mwmvzrom' Carl S Greer, Jr!

Patented Nov. 2, 1948 oer-ice ELONGATED POT BURNER AND RING Carl S. Greer, Jr., Albion, Mich., assignor to Lonergan Manufacturing Company, Albion,

Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application July 5, 1947, Serial No. 759,194

This invention relates to a. new andimproved vaporizing type burner for liquid fuel and has for an object the provision of an improved construction capable of safe and economical operation over a wide range. An object of the invention is to provide a simple and emcient form of vaporizing pot adapted to burn economically at all stages of operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vaporizing pot of elliptical or oval shape having primary and secondary air inlet openings in the in a, vaporizing pot of the type disclosed a dame.

opening in the flame plate of different contour than the pot itself, the portion on opposite sides of the major axis at the ends of the flame opening being cut back to relieve congestion of air streams at these ends and provide for uniform flow upward, thereby eliminating eddy currents within the Dot.

Other Objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detail specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: i

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of a-heater embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the vaporizing pot illustrating the flame plate and the contour of its flame opening;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-4! of Fig. 2 locking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a similar view but taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The heater illustrated in the drawings is what is commonly called a space heater. It will be understood, however, that this heater may be of any other type and that the invention may be incorporated in central heating units, furnaces generally, stoves, etc, As illustrated, the heater comprises a housing I, a supporting frame 2, a combustion chamber 3 and a burner chamber 4. The burner chamber 4 is disposed in pot 5 supported in any suitable way in housing I, this depending upon the design of the housing and the type of heater in which this pot 5 is used.

3 (Jlaims. (Cl. 158-91) surface; To obtain this maximum heat radiating surfacapot B is made elliptical or oval in shape which also decreases the dimension of the heater from front to back, this being advantageous inthat the heater will occupy less space in that direction and can be placed closer to the wall and thus fitted into spaces not otherwise accommodating a heater. Side wall 8 is provided with uniformly spaced groups of airinlet openings. These groups of air inlet openings are disposed at dliferent levels, the primary air inlet openings I being located in rows below the sec ondary air inlet openings 8. If the side wall 6 is sheet metal, these air inlet openings may be 1 'with a well It substantially centrally provided and a trough Ii leading thereto from one side of the pot. As illustrated, oil line I2 will connect at It to supply oil at a. controlled rate to trough I I by a suitable metering device l4.

Within the burner chamber 4 is provided two accumulator segments or elements 20 and II ar-: ranged to embrace a number of primary openings 7, and, while only those of the lower row are iilustrated as included, it will be understood that openings of other rows might also be included. These accumulator elements constitute the subject matter of copending application Serial No. 759,193, filed July 5, 1947, and is claimed therein. They are specifically shown herein as substantially U-shaped, each with a top'wall 22 and with side walls 23 and 24, and, are seated upon sides to form a vaporizing or pilot chamber 25.

This chamber 25 may have its side walls 26 perpendicular to the bottom 9 and be integrally connected to top wall 22 of accumulator elementfl.

A top wall 21 may span side walls 26 in integral relation and slope somewhat downwardly so that the lower inner edge will be below the lower row of the primary air openings 1 and the upper edge will be above these openings whereby the latter will communicate. with this vaporizing chamber 25 and supply air thereto. It will be noted in Fig. 3 that additional openings l4 have been furnished in the lower row of openings I to comto the rear of the forward edge of top wall 21 of the vaporizing chamber 25. At this stage of operation, a minimum consumption of oil takes,

place, and, in actual operation, it is found that the arrangement of the parts provides for a consumption as low as 1 cc. of oil per minute without smoke or carbon being produced. The flame may continue to burn at a low pilot stage indefinitely with a clear smokeless appearance and the mixture will be adequate to effect complete combustion. By increasing the supply of liquid fuel, the pilot flame will increase until the flame either is held at intermediate stage, which is within the zone defined by the space between accum'ulator elements 20 and 2! and in the vicinity of their top walls 22, or is permitted to rise in burner chamber 4 until it burns at and above opening I! in flame plate I! where combustion is then completed in combustion chamber lat high flre stage.

Accumulator elements 20 and 2i serve to direct the air entering the primary air inlet openings l embracedby these elements to the space therebetween to mix with the vaporizing oil risn from well It). vThe combustible mixture at intermediate fire will burn in this space slightly above or at the level of top walls 22 and consume atthis stage, say between 6 and 8 cc. of liquid file] per minute,-without the flame smoking or producing carbon. Accumulator elements 20 and 2! will direct a uniform flow of air forwardly and preventundesirable eddy currents. As the fuel supply increases, the level of the flame will increase so that the air supplied by the upper primary air inlets 1 will mix with the vaporized fuel to provide a completely combustible mixture. With the flame at opening I! and burning in combustion chamber 3, the seconda'ry'air inlets 8 will supply additional air to the mixture and assure complete combustion, the flame at this high stage consuming between 35 and 45 cc. of liquid fuel per minute.

The shape of pot is preferably elliptical or oval and side wall 6 is curved at all points. This will make pot 5 thinner from back to front which I find is advantageous in the construction of heaters of thistype because the space to be cccupied by them with respect to the distance oralong the same axes as the ellipse of pot 5, the

portions on opposite sides of 1 the longitudinal axis of opening I! are cut away, this being indicated at 30, so that the opening I! becomes somewhat larger at the ends. It is found that cutting away the corners of opening I! at 30 relieves congestion of the mixture or air streams at these ends in burner chamber... and provides for uniform flow upwardly, thereby eliminating eddy currents within thepot. 1 The contour of flame opening I'I further provides for an efllcient; form of flame within combustion chamber 3. This flame will spread and while opening I! is not ellipticaltheflame will assume a .form approaching the shape of combustion chamber 3 and will present a greater flame surface for heat radiation than other shapes of heaters. It will be remembered that it is advantageous to burn the mixture in a flame having some body thickness thereto to assure complete combustion and prevent the escape of unburned gases. Failure of the secondary air to mix thoroughly with the hydrocarbon molecules will cause products of combustion in the form of soot and carbon. The burner hereindisclosed will burn the mixture completely in the combustion chamber 3 at high-flame. With congestion ofthe air streams and combustible mixture relieved within burner chamber 4, the flow through this chamber will be smooth and uniform to produce an efiicient flame.

It is also found that accumulator elements 20 and 2| disposed in-opposed relation on opposite sides of the major or longitudinal axes of both the pot! and the flame opening II in cover I! became particularly useful in the general arrangement of the parts described. These accumulator elements have a straight front edge which will have the space therebetween somewhat of the same general shape as the flame opening ll so that there will be a tendency ofthe mixture or rising vapors mixing with the streams-of primary air, in burner chamber 4 to assume a body of corresponding formation and thus produce a flame having a contour of substantial flame surface for heat radiation. Not only will there be maximum heat liberation but the flame will bu clean and will not smoke or cause soot.

Without further elaboration, the foregoingwill sofully explain the gist of my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readilyadapt the same for use under varying conditions of service, without eliminating certain features, which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be deflned and secured to me by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A liquid fuel burner comprising an open topped burner pot of elliptical shape cross-sectionally having a bottom wall, a side wall and a series of upper and lower air inlet openings circumferentially disposed in said side wall to give a substantially uniform supply of air to the pct,

fuel supply means for delivering a regulatable quantity of fuel to said pot, and a flame plate at the top of said pot having an elongated flame opening therein, said flame opening being disposed centrally in said flame plate and having its ends on opposite sides of its longitudinal axis a distance closer to the side wall of said pot than other portions of said flame opening.

2. A liquid fuel burner comprising an open topped burner pot elongated cross-sectionally and having a bottom wall, a side wall and a flame plate at the top thereof, fuel supply means for delivering liquid fuel to said pot, air supply means for delivering a substantially uniform supply of air to said pot to mix with the vaporized liquid fueLsaid flame plate having a flame opening therein, said flame opening also being elongated with its ends on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis being a distance closer to said side wall of v the potthan the other portions of said'flame opening.

3. A liquid fuel burner comprising an open topped burner pot of elongated cross-section and having a bottom wall, a side wall and a flame plate at the top thereof, fuel supply means for delivering liquid fuel to the bottom of said pot, there being air inlet openings disposed circumferentially in said side wall, said side wall being curved at all points cireumferentially to cause saidair inlet openings to feed jets of air inconverging streams substantially toward the center of the pot and give a substantially uniform supply of air to the pot, said flame plate being pro- 15 2. .27

' vided with an opening therein having substan- 5 tions of said flame opening.

CARL S. GREER. JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

I UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,512,869 Valjean Oct. 21, 1924 Valjean Feb. 4, 1941 

